Red 4

I have been attempting to dig deeper into Boris Red which comes
with the Media100 Suite. Aside from the online help files and Steve Oakley's DVD from Class on Demand, I'm finding it difficult to source comprehensive instruction on how to navigate through this dense program? I've spoken with Boris FX and was told that they only have online help and no manual. Maybe I spoke to a new person.

Is there an older manual out there or any other resources you might recommend. Thank you in advance.

I believe we still have RED 3 manuals somewhere in the backroom (they look like phone books) so we can send you one if you really want it. With RED 4 release we switched to hypertext-based online help which in my view is far superior to printed docs for the following reasons:

- it's much more extensive because there is no page count constrain; our old manuals printed in two volumes 900 page each

- it's full-text search-able and hyperlinked so it is much easier to navigate

- you do not need reading glasses to read it

- it's aways with you, no need to lug phonebooks anymore, feel free to copy the folder to laptops, etc, no license restriction for intended use, you can even view it on our web site:

As you mentioned, Steve Oackley training DVD is another excellent source of info. In addition, feel free to ask questions here on the Cow' BorisFX forum. If you question does not require testing in the lab it will be answered very quickly.

Thank you for your quick response. I want to thank you personally for keeping the M100 program alive and robust. Its been an indispensible and reliable tool for me all these years.

I've been afraid of using Red because I have been more of Producer/Editor and saw myself as a hack compositor. With some time between jobs I finally tied myself to a chair and started to learn it.

I'm actually having fun learning Red and have achieved some fabulous effects with your program in a couple of days. Thank you for contributing to my creativity, my clients' happiness and to keeping food on the table for my family.

Quite frankly I would prefer to have a printed manual(in addition to the online manual included with the application) and would encourage Boris FX to produce one for RED starting with version 5. If necessary, the manual could be a reasonable extra cost option for those of us who really want one.

I use a MacBook Pro with Media100/Boris RED and screen area is really tight trying to navigate through Media 100 and its manual and RED and its manual. Having a separate manual would be so much easier.

One of your arguments is that there is no need to lug around a heavy manual when there is one in the computer. My counter to that is, there is no need to lug around a computer when all you want to do is spend some quiet time with a good book.

I know manuals are expensive to produce, but quite honestly I feel inhibited without one and would like to at least have the option to acquire an up-to-date printed manual for ANY Boris product.

The other issue is training materials in general. There just aren't enough for RED (and other Boris products like Media 100). I have the Steve Oakley DVD which is okay, but it simply does not do into enough depth. So many RED features are not even mentioned. I certainly would have been more disappointed I had bought the DVD for a price higher that what is offered on your web site. I also have the book produced through VAASST. More indepth that Oakley's DVD, but written for RED version 3.

You certainly have a variety of tutorials on the web site, but considering the power of RED, I hope these will increase subtantially with the release of version 5.

I have to say that I'm with Marcus on this one. I always prefer a printed manual and in fact when Media 100 ceased to print one some years back a friendly supplier obtained one for me from America! (I'm in the UK). Boris's point about the convenience of having it on a laptop is valid but as Marcus explains, screens get very muddled and going to a printed page is easier than juggling a laptop.

But Marcus, you can always print out a manual, say at your office if you attend one, or even get a local print house to do it and bind it up for you. I've done that in the past but now prefer either the DVD's (the one you refer to is pretty good) or have a trainer instruct you from time to time, which I do about twice a year. Well worth it as you can ask exactly what you want to ask.

If you are still watching Boris, can I add my sincere thanks for all you are doing for us editors who can't abide FCP and who's lives would end with the demise (unthinkable) of Media 100.

I'm not sure how this escaped me, but I don't have a RED 4 online User manual. Is a User Guide not included with the Boris RED install? There's a New Features guide, Understanding Open GL and Release notes, but no "phone book" size User guide.

Also there is no User Guide/Manual listed under RED documentation on the Boris web site.

I guess all this time I have been relying on the New Features documentation, Media 100 user guide, Vaasst Book, Oakley DVD, etc to learn RED and didn't realize I had no manual.